A1 Expression خنثی

Ki az?

Who is that?

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The essential Hungarian way to ask 'Who is it?' when someone knocks or you see someone unfamiliar.

Means: 'Who is that?' or 'Who is it?' used for identifying people.
Used in: Answering the door, identifying people in photos, or asking about strangers.
Don't confuse: Never use 'Mi az?' (What is it?) for people; only use 'Ki'.

👤 + ❓ + 🚪 = Ki az?

Explanation at your level:

At the A1 level, 'Ki az?' is a simple formula. You use it to ask 'Who is it?' when someone knocks on your door or when you see a person you don't know. It has two words: 'Ki' (who) and 'az' (that). There is no 'is' in the middle. It is very easy to learn and use every day.

At the A2 level, you learn that 'Ki az?' uses the zero-copula rule. In Hungarian, we don't use 'van' (is) when identifying people in the present tense. You can also start using 'Ki ez?' for people who are close to you and 'Kik azok?' for more than one person. It's a building block for basic descriptions.

At the B1 level, you should distinguish between 'Ki az?' (Who is that?) and 'Ki ő?' (Who is he/she?). 'Ki az?' is for initial identification, while 'Ki ő?' is used once the person is already a topic of conversation. You also start to use it in more complex sentences like 'Ki az, aki kopog?' (Who is it that is knocking?).

At the B2 level, you understand the pragmatic nuances. Shouting 'Ki az?' can sound impatient or suspicious depending on your intonation. You also learn to use the phrase in relative clauses and understand its role in the 'focus' position of a Hungarian sentence, where the question word 'Ki' must come immediately before the element it questions.

At the C1 level, you analyze 'Ki az?' as a demonstrative-interrogative construction. You explore how 'az' acts as a dummy subject in identification clauses. You can also use more sophisticated alternatives like 'Kihez van szerencsém?' in formal contexts or 'Kicsoda?' to express disbelief or demand a more specific social identity (e.g., 'Who does he think he is?').

At the C2 level, you master the cognitive linguistics behind the phrase. You understand the historical evolution from Proto-Uralic roots and the syntactic implications of the zero-copula in comparative Uralic linguistics. You can use 'Ki az?' sarcastically in various idiomatic expressions and recognize its use in classical Hungarian literature to establish character dynamics through minimal dialogue.

معنی

Asking for identification of a person.

🌍

زمینه فرهنگی

In apartment buildings, people often use the intercom (kaputelefon). When the buzzer rings, you pick up the phone and say 'Halló, ki az?' or simply 'Igen?'. In villages, 'Ki az?' is often shouted from a window or across a fence. It's a way of monitoring the neighborhood and starting a conversation. When knocking on an office door, 'Ki az?' is a standard prompt for the visitor to identify themselves before being told 'Szabad!' (Come in). During the socialist era, 'Ki az?' was a phrase of caution. Today, it is used more casually, but the habit of identifying visitors through the door remains.

💡

The 'Key' Rule

Always use 'Ki' for people. Think of a 'Key' opening a door to a person.

⚠️

No 'Van'

Don't say 'Ki az van?'. The verb 'is' is invisible in Hungarian for this phrase.

معنی

Asking for identification of a person.

💡

The 'Key' Rule

Always use 'Ki' for people. Think of a 'Key' opening a door to a person.

⚠️

No 'Van'

Don't say 'Ki az van?'. The verb 'is' is invisible in Hungarian for this phrase.

🎯

Pluralize Both

If you see two people, don't forget to change both words: 'Kik azok?'.

💬

Intonation Matters

Rise the pitch on the word 'Ki' to make it sound like a natural question.

خودت رو بسنج

Fill in the missing word to ask 'Who is that?'

___ az?

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Ki

'Ki' is used for people, 'Mi' for things.

Which phrase is correct for asking about a group of people?

Asking about multiple people:

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Kik azok?

Both 'Ki' and 'az' must be pluralized to 'Kik' and 'azok'.

Match the phrase to the situation.

Situation: Someone knocks on your door.

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Ki az?

'Ki az?' is the standard response to a knock.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Kopp-kopp! B: ___ A: Én vagyok, Anna.

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Ki az?

This is the most natural way to ask who is knocking.

🎉 امتیاز: /4

ابزارهای بصری یادگیری

سوالات متداول

10 سوال

Usually no. For animals, Hungarians use 'Mi az?' (What is it?), unless the pet is treated very much like a person, then 'Ki az?' might be used jokingly.

No, it is neutral. However, shouting it very loudly through a door might sound a bit aggressive. A calm tone makes it perfectly polite.

'Ki az?' refers to someone further away or behind a door. 'Ki ez?' refers to someone right next to you or in a photo you are holding.

You can say '[Your Name] vagyok' (I am [Name]) or 'Én vagyok' (It's me).

Hungarian uses a zero-copula in the 3rd person singular present tense for definitions and identifications.

It's mostly a spoken phrase. In a letter, you would use more specific language like 'Ki az az illető, akiről szó van?' (Who is the individual in question?).

Always use a question mark in writing to indicate the rising intonation.

If you hear a noise and aren't sure, 'Mi az?' is safer. If you suspect it's a person, use 'Ki az?'.

No. Hungarian has no grammatical gender. 'Ki az?' works for men, women, and non-binary individuals.

In the past tense, you MUST use the verb: 'Ki volt az?'.

عبارات مرتبط

🔗

Ki ez?

similar

Who is this?

🔗

Mi az?

contrast

What is it?

🔗

Kik azok?

builds on

Who are they?

🔗

Ki beszél?

specialized form

Who is speaking?

🔗

Kicsoda?

similar

Who exactly?

کجا استفاده کنیم

🚪

Answering the door

Visitor: (Knocks on door)

Host: Ki az?

Visitor: A futár vagyok a pizzával.

neutral

📸

Looking at old photos

Friend A: Nézd ezt a régi képet!

Friend B: Ki az a kisfiú ott a bal oldalon?

Friend A: Az az öcsém, Peti.

informal

📱

Unknown caller

Person A: (Phone rings)

Person B: Ki az?

Person A: Nem tudom, rejtett szám.

neutral

🌟

Seeing a celebrity

Fan 1: Nézd, mindenki fotózza azt a nőt!

Fan 2: Ki az? Talán egy híres színésznő?

informal

💼

Office knock

Employee: (Knocks on manager's door)

Manager: Ki az? Szabad!

formal

🌙

Late night noise

Homeowner: Hallottad? Valaki van a konyhában.

Partner: Ki az? Menj és nézd meg!

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Key' (Ki) opening a door to see 'As' (Az) many people as possible.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant question mark shaped like a keyhole in a door. Through the keyhole, you see a person pointing at themselves.

Rhyme

Ki az? / A kopogó kisinas.

Story

You are in a dark castle. You hear a sound: 'Kopp-kopp'. You hold up your lantern and shout 'Ki az?'. A friendly ghost appears and says 'Csak én vagyok!' (It's just me!).

Word Web

KiAzEzKikAzokKicsodaValakiSenki

چالش

Next time you hear a knock or a notification on your phone, say 'Ki az?' out loud before checking.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

¿Quién es?

Spanish requires a verb; Hungarian does not.

French moderate

C'est qui?

Word order and the use of 'c'est'.

German high

Wer ist das?

German uses the verb 'sein'.

Japanese partial

誰ですか？ (Dare desu ka?)

Japanese uses a question particle; Hungarian uses rising intonation.

Arabic high

من هذا؟ (Man hadha?)

Almost no difference in logic, only in script and sounds.

Chinese moderate

是谁？ (Shì shéi?)

Chinese keeps the verb but can drop the pronoun.

Korean partial

누구세요? (Nugu-seyo?)

Korean's mandatory honorifics.

Portuguese high

Quem é?

Presence of the verb 'ser'.

Easily Confused

Ki az? در مقابل Mi az?

Learners use 'What' instead of 'Who' for people.

Remember: People = Ki, Things = Mi.

Ki az? در مقابل Ki ő?

Learners mix up 'that' (az) and 'he/she' (ő).

Use 'az' for someone you are identifying for the first time. Use 'ő' for someone you are already talking about.

سوالات متداول (10)